Pix by Mark Campbell/MCPIX
We’ve got another exciting update for one of Netflix’s most anticipated upcoming iconic period dramas. If you’ve been avidly following our coverage of the upcoming Kennedy series, you’re in for a treat. We have some stunning new behind-the-scenes photos of Michael Fassbender completely transformed into the formidable patriarch, Joe Kennedy Sr. These are some of the first behind-the-scenes shots since Netflix’s official shot posted a few weeks ago.
Production is well underway, and these latest photos show the cast and crew hard at work in the UK. Notably, filming of these scenes took place right next to the iconic Liver Building in Liverpool, which does an absolutely fantastic job of evoking 1940s America. Filming has been underway across the UK since early January, primarily in London, but today production has moved to Liverpool.
The streets of Liverpool have been completely transformed. One of the photos highlights a row of antique, vintage 1940s taxicabs – one vibrant yellow and red, the other yellow and black – parked along the side of the road, perfectly summing up a mid-century American scene.
Production will continue throughout the spring and summer with an initial scheduled completion date of June 5, 2026.
As a reminder of what you can expect from the series:
“The Kennedys reveal the intimate lives, loves, rivalries and tragedies that shaped the most iconic dynasty in modern history, and helped create the world we live in today. Set in the early 1930s, the first season follows the unlikely rise of Joe and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, including rebellious second son Jack, who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden boy older brother.”
Just Fassbender was spotted on set today, but as a reminder, some of his co-stars include: Laura Donnelly as Rose Kennedy, Sr., Nick Robinson as Joe Kennedy Jr., and Joshua Melnick as Jack Kennedy. She is supported by a wide cast of recurring roles bringing family members and key historical figures to life, including Georgina Bitmead (Eunice Kennedy), Lydia Peckham (Rosemary Kennedy), and Saura Lightfoot-Lyon, as well as Miley Locke (Kick Kennedy and the younger Kick Kennedy, respectively).
The series is packed with iconic mid-century figures, including Toby Huss as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Albert Welling as Winston Churchill, Robin Soens as Neville Chamberlain, Wyatt Russell as Charles Lindbergh, J. The cast includes Eddie Marsan as Edgar Hoover, Caitlin Fitzgerald as Claire Boothe Luce and Imogen Poots as Gloria Swanson. The extensive recurring cast includes Cole Doman as Lem Billings, Patrick Fischler as Arthur Crock, Hera Hilmar as Inga Arvad, Louis Landau as Billy Cavendish, Ben Miles as Eddie Moore, Dennis O’Hare as Raymond Furness and Tipper Seifert-Cleveland as Younger Tipper Seifert-Cleveland.
Let’s dive into these brand new set photos and see what we can learn from the incredible period details!
breaking new set photos
The costume and set design departments are clearly putting in all the effort to recreate the era, with Fassbender playing a similar role.
Fassbender’s transformation: In the photos, Fassbender is wearing a crisp gray overcoat, a dark fedora, a patterned tie and distinctive, round wire-rimmed glasses. He looks every bit like a wealthy, influential patriarch. In some scenes, he is seen holding cash and what appears to be a wallet, while interacting with his surroundings.
Pix by Mark Campbell/MCPIX
A major focal point of these images is a brilliantly constructed, old green newsstand. Fassbender’s Joe Kennedy Sr. is seen purchasing a newspaper, handing over cash to the seller. If you look carefully at the newsstand’s sandwich board, there’s a big historical clue about the timeline of this scene. The New York Post headline read: “Roosevelt says, ‘Situation at the beach is tense – we pray’.” This is a direct reference to World War II, alluding to the tense days of the D-Day landings in Normandy.
Extras and co-stars: Surrounding Fassbender are background actors and co-stars dressed in 1940s fashion. We see men in sharp pinstripes and navy double-breasted suits smoking cigarettes, women in elegant, structured coats and stylish hats carrying portfolios and handbags, and even a few military personnel in navy uniforms passing by in the background.
Are you excited to see Michael Fassbender take on the role of Joe Kennedy Sr.? Let us know in the comments below, and here are some more photos!
